BABYSITTING.
We spent a snowy day with the Bugtussle children yesterday. It was filled with warm fires, brownie baking, Bird Bingo, and lots of ice adventures.
NEW YEAR, NEW RECIPE.
We spent our New Year's Day at Hill and Hollow - celebrating with lots of friends, old and new. It was a potluck kind of gathering - the best kind of meal when all the guests are farmers. Because we have had dried cranberries sitting around on the shelf for awhile, and because we will take any excuse to splurge on citrus this time of year (while its "in season"), I baked cranberry orange bread - inspired by my main gal Martha. The bread was a success - definitely a sweet treat that was a favorite of the children. Much like these scones I made last year, I think orange is a wonderful flavor to bake with.
Bread recipe HERE - I didn't follow all the strict rules for whipping and folding in and the loaves were still light and fluffy.Happy 2014!- Hannah.
COOKIES AND PIZZA.
Merry Christmas Eve! Jesse came home a day early (!) and we are up before the sun this morning, baking cookies and eating cold pizza for breakfast. Maybe this should become a new holiday ritual? Today is always a whirlwind for us, trying to cram in both of our family celebrations into the same evening, but I love it. What are your Christmas Eve traditions?- Hannah.
*I used this recipe for the roll-out sugar cookies. ALWAYS refrigerate the dough overnight first (or just set it outside if you have no refrigeration!) The icing is just butter and sugar and milk and vanilla, with pistachio added for the green! Everything is organical (except the sprinkles) so that makes them healthy! Right?!
HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH WITH HONEY.
easy honey pizza crust
ingredients:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (or one package)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 cup of warm water (105-ish degrees)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups of flour (plus a little extra for kneading)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
Dissolve honey, yeast, and 1/4 cup of the water in a small bowl, letting it proof. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. When the yeast has proofed, add to your flour mixture the yeast, the olive oil, and the remaining warm water. Mix until it comes together, and add flour if it seems to sticky. At this point I usually end up just mixing it with my hands inside of the bowl, eventually pulling out the dough and kneading on a floured surface (only 2 minutes, don't over-knead). When the dough is stretchy when you pull it (doesn't tear apart), shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and let sit for 45 minutes or so.When dough has doubled, divide into balls if you are going to make multiple pizzas (This recipe makes 1 deep dish or 2 thin crusts. I usually triple the recipe as the dough can keep in the fridge for a few days). Let dough sit, loosely covered with a damp cloth, for 30 minutes before baking it or storing it in the fridge.Bake at 450 for 12 - 16 minutes. We don't have a pizza stone, so I just sprinkle some corn meal on a baking sheet.For this recent pizza, we used a cream sauce base with roasted fennel, kale, and goat cheese. It was definitely a winner.- Hannah.
